Cocaine is an addictive drug that is made from the leaves of the coca plant. This plant is primarily grown in Columbia, Peru and Bolivia. Throughout the years, cocaine has been abused by a variety of reasons which include: as an ingredient in medicine, medical uses, and for the "high" feeling. The main reason people use cocaine is for the "high" feeling. It is usually sold on the street and has a lot of different street names such as: Snow, Coke, Flake, Blow, and Rock.

The following animation represents the cocaine molecule.


external image Cocaine3Dan.gif


The picture below is a picture of the coca plants.


external image coca%2Bweb.jpg


Cocaine can be used in three different forms:
  • Powder
  • Liquid
  • Crystals

The powder version is used for snorting, the liquid version is used for injecting, and the crystal version is used for smoking. Depending on which form you consume, the amount of time that the "high" feeling lasts varies from five minutes to two hours. Out of all the variants, smoking cocaine gets you "high" the fastest and snorting cocaine makes you feel "high" for the longest period of time. Some signs of using cocaine include: dilated pupils, high levels of energy, and exuberant speech.

external image Cocaine_Bar.jpeg



Cocaine usage gives the following sensations:

  • energetic
  • confident
  • talkative
  • alert
  • exited
  • agitated
  • nervous
  • irritable
  • paranoid


Cocaine is a dangerous drug that has lots of side effects:
  • Constricted blood vessels
  • Increased heart rate
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Violent behaviour
  • Disturbances in heart rhythm
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Seizure
  • Cardiac arrest

Cocaine also has some negative effects on core vital organs of the human body: heart, brain, lungs, and kidneys.

The following documentary talks about the origin of cocaine and it's side effects.






References


http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/cocaine-use-and-its-effects
http://knowledgex.camh.net/amhspecialists/resources_families/Pages/about_cocaine.aspx
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/cocaine-abuse-addiction/how-does-cocaine-produce-its-effects
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RtRlBPXnkRA/TUq0uUeSt7I/AAAAAAAAAQQ/xydeW5_RADg/s320/coca%2Bweb.jpg
http://www.travelvivi.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Cocaine_Bar.jpeg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMJ2cfOzPAg


Top